The Scarlet Lily

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The Scarlet Lily
The Scarlet Lily (1923) Advertisement.jpg
Directed by Victor Schertzinger
Written by
Story by Fred Sittenham
Produced by B. P. Schulberg
Starring
Cinematography Joseph Brotherton
Edited by Eve Unsell
Production
company
Distributed by First National Pictures
Release date
  • July 15, 1923 (1923-07-15)
Running time
6 reels
CountryUnited States
Languages

The Scarlet Lily is a lost [1] 1923 American silent drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Katherine MacDonald, Orville Caldwell and Stuart Holmes. [2]

Contents

Plot

According to a film magazine, [3] "Dora Mason, who has accepted the hospitality of a married man's apartment in all innocence and then finds ensuing circumstances reflecting on her character because of the purely innocent itinerary in the Jessup Barnes suite. Barnes, a married man, commissioned the interior decorating firm which employed Dora to fix up a new apartment for him. Miss Mason is the one assigned to the task, and Barnes commits a bad break at the installation night's party. Dora leaves in a huff, returning to her squalid hall bedroom to find her ailing sister. Mollie, on the ebb. The landlady, objecting to anything happening in her house, demands possession of the room, and Dora faces a tough situation because of her depicted exchequer (She has lost her position meantime). Comes a note from Barnes inviting her to use the apartment for a month In his absence out of town, which Dora is forced to accept in view of her sister's plight.

The situation becomes complicated with the intervention of Mrs. Barnes and her private detective on Barnes' return at an unfortunate moment, and Dora Mason is publicized as a co-respondent. In a country retreat Lawson Dean, a promising political figure, renews acquaintance with the heroine, having come up to recuperate from severe eye-strain. Her marriage to the lawyer, who has announced his candidacy for District Attorney, ruins his political chances when Mrs. Barnes recognizes the newlywed bride as the supposed "other woman." The usual situation about the husband's suspicions and disbelief and her efforts to establish her innocence follow, with the final fade-out satisfactory all around."

Cast

Production

Exhibitor's Trade Review reported that filming would begin on August 21, 1922, [4] but is contradicted by the filming chart published by Camera! . [5] Exteriors for The Scarlet Lily were filmed on location at Lake Arrowhead, California. [6]

Reception

The Film Daily gave the film a mixed review, praising the "excellent" production, but found the story to be "very conventional." [7]

Variety gave the film a mostly positive review, finding the story to be "considerable," though felt that Orville Caldwell was not used to his full extent. [3]

Exhibitor's Trade Review was also quite positive, despite having the same criticisms of the story as The Film Daily review, as the reviewer felt that Victor Schertzinger handled the story well. The reviewer praised Katherine MacDonald for her performance, "demonstrating her keen sense of dramatic values," as well as the rest of the cast. The cinematography and interiors were also lauded. [8]

Censorship

Before the film could be exhibited in Kansas, the Kansas Board of Review required the elimination of all scenes where women are smoking in a cafe. [9]

Preservation

With no holdings located in archives, The Scarlet Lily is considered a lost film. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Scarlet Lily". memory.loc.gov. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  2. Parish & Pitts p.336
  3. 1 2 Variety, New York City: Variety Publishing Co., July 12, 1923, p. 30PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  4. Exhibitor's Trade Review. New York: Exhibitor's trade review, inc. August 19, 1922. p. 801.
  5. Camera!. Los Angeles: Raymond Cannon. October 14, 1922. p. 13.
  6. Exhibitor's Trade Review. New York: Exhibitor's trade review, inc. December 2, 1922. p. 13.
  7. The Film Daily. New York City: Wid's Films and Film Folks, Inc. July 15, 1923. p. 8.
  8. Exhibitor's Trade Review. New York: Exhibitor's trade review, inc. August 4, 1923. p. 433.
  9. "Kansas Board of Review Movie Index - Kansas Historical Society". www.kansashistory.gov. Retrieved September 21, 2025.

Bibliography